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Re: Jay & Anne Greer's H28 Ketch "Bright Star"

This was a problem component to fasten as the end frame could not be taken apart to allow normal mortice and tenor joinery to be done. As a result,
I ended up using a few descritely hidden screws and Gorilla Glue. I chose this glue as it expands and fills in voids. Unfortunately G/flex epoxy was not invented at that time so, I had to do with what was abvailable. Here now you can see the new bottom rail that replaced the bad one just prior to finish. that was fourteen years ago and it is still tight. I was also reframing the cockpit seats so that they would drain correctly. As you can see, both ends look pretty much the same. Next comes the making of new trim around the coach roof.
Jay

Re: Jay & Anne Greer's H28 Ketch "Bright Star"

Originally Posted by cstevens

I'm trying to find the right words here... Jay, I think I speak for many when I say that there is no possible way that you could "hog space" or "be redundant". The craftsmanship you are sharing is invaluable. Thank you!

Re: Jay & Anne Greer's H28 Ketch "Bright Star"

Steve, the Yankee driver is a tool that I grew up with from my very beginning days of boat building . Back then, everybody had, at least, one in their kit! The tool, has several advantages over an electric driver. It allows the user to firmly set the torque connection with the slot before beginning to set, drive or remove a fastening. It is not often that a person using a Yankee driver will cam out of the slot and spoil the wood. I often use the tool with the driving shaft unextended. This allows a sensitive ratcheting motion that can be very controlled. Often one can feel the fastening as it is driven and permits to torque to be applied better than an electric driver will. Both have their place in boat building. I also grind the side taper off of my bits in order to not chew up the sides of counterbored fastening holes. Here I am using the Yankee to avoid splitting the wood by over tightening the screws on the butt ends of the piece I am installing.
Jay

Re: Jay & Anne Greer's H28 Ketch "Bright Star"

"Pig Stick is a term that has been in usage as long as I can remember that applies to the set up I made up for flying burgees at the mast head.
Here is what Wikipedia has to say,
Jay

Pig stick - Wikipediahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pig_stick A pig stick is a staff that carries a flag or pennant, usually the burgee of the boat owner's yacht club or private signal, above a mast of a sailboat. It's connected to a halyard so when it's raised to the top of the mast, the "pig stick" extends above the mast, allowing the flag to be seen flying above the boat's sails. Pig sticks are especially useful on catboats and other sailboats which have no stays to which a flag halyard can be attached.

Re: Jay & Anne Greer's H28 Ketch "Bright Star"

When we bought "Bright Star" the canvas on the coach roof was on its last legs so we knew we would be doing a lot of work on the deck house because the replacing of the canvas usually involves making new drip moldings to hide the selvedge edges of the canvas. One thing that must be considered here is that the canvas must be the un-shrunk, raw, non "Sanforized" material as it is shrunk in place by pouring boiling water on it. I chose to use white lead under the fabric just as it had been done originally back in 1960 when the little H28 was built in Spain. When we took up the old covering, it was over forty years old. The white lead was still soft and doing its job of allowing the canvas to come and go a bit while, protecting it and the planking from rot. Raw canvas is used for boxing ring covers. This is what you must use if you want a proper job to result! I bought ours from Seattle Canvas. As to the oz. wheight of the product I chose ten oz. raw duck but you might wish to use a different weight so I would advise you to discuss what would be best for your own job with the supplier.

We took a lot of care in removing the hardware and trim so as not to damage the planking which is made up of white cedar T&G car siding. This gives a nice look from the inside of the cabin with its V and Bead pattern. We combined stripping the varnish first and then removing the canvas. We masked off areas to be protected as we sprayed the stain on the wood.

Re: Jay & Anne Greer's H28 Ketch "Bright Star"

We sprayed aniline dye on the raw mahogany as it is transparent and gives a beautiful color. Unfortunately it is not UV resistant and so we had to re-stain later on with pigment based filler stain a stain that will not fade. But the wood was beautiful while it lasted! More coming up. Jay

Re: Jay & Anne Greer's H28 Ketch "Bright Star"

After we got a few coats of varnish on the deck house sides we laid the new canvas on the coach roof. We notch trowled white lead on the planks first and then proceeded to stretch the new canvas over it using Monel staples to fasten it on the edges just where the drip rail would cover it. We then poured copious amounts of boiling water on the canvas which, immediately caused it to shrink down drum head tight. This is only possible if raw non pre-shrunk canvas is used.
While the canvas was still wet, we then applied, piss thin, oil based house paint to lock in the shrink. House paint is used in lieu of marine enamel because it is designed to sluff off as it ages. This prevents the paint from clogging the weave of the fabric which would, eventually, cause the surface to no longer be non skid as well as cause the paint and canvas to crack. Only enough paint was put on the canvas to give a complete coverage of color. The sluffing house paint slowly erodes off with each scrubbing of the surface. Once the grain begins to show through the paint it is time for another coat. This is about two years between coats. No sanding is ever needed. In the photo, my son Jaime is pouring boiling water on the canvas while Ward Vance, schooner man, watches. When it is saturated, the paint is applied directly to the wet canvas.

Re: Jay & Anne Greer's H28 Ketch "Bright Star"

That’s the clearest and simplest to understand description of canvasing a deck that I’ve seen Jay. Over the years I’ve copied to a file various bits of advice and descriptions of tasks that you’ve posted here (to my H28 thread and elsewhere) and I hope others have had the chance to do the same. When I read back through them I see the amazing depth of knowledge and experience that many would never have the chance to access otherwise.

Larks

“It’s impossible”, said pride.
“It’s risky”, said experience.
“It’s pointless”, said reason.
“Give it a try”, whispered the heart.

LPBC Beneficiary

"Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great!"

Re: Jay & Anne Greer's H28 Ketch "Bright Star"

Thank you very much guys! I learned my trade from some incredibly talented people and only wish to pass on that which I know will work and save others from the agony of the mistakes that I have made in the past.
Jay

Re: Jay & Anne Greer's H28 Ketch "Bright Star"

After the coach roof canvas had received its first setting coat of "piss thin, oil based, house paint to create uniform color . we carefully trimmed the selvage edges to a line that would be covered by the drip molding with a razor knife that was guided by a batten.
Here I am going to switch to making canvas "mast coats", also called "mast boots", just to change the subject a bit. We did them at the same time as the coach roof canvasing.

While a lot of people like to use rubber to make coats, canvas is a superior material because it breathes and allows condensation to escape the area around the mast, thereby reducing the chance of rot taking up residence in the mast at the partners! I like to use a metal deck flange that has a spigot to support the wedges against side thrust. This flange can either be cast bronze or made up of sheet iron stock that is hot dip galvanized. By the time all the work is done, I have found the cost of the two metals is about the same in the end.

I alway make an accurate dummy mast and the actual deck flange ring up for the canvas person to work with. Having the job done by a skilled canvas worker is faster, most often, better looking than than hand sewing the boot. This is because the measuring and fitting can be a frustrating challenge if one is not accustomed to sewing machines or palm and needle work. Making a boot prior to stepping a mast allows the piece to be accurately fitted prior to mast stepping providing it is made from an accurate pattern. However if one is dead set on DIY then I recommend HG Smith's book, "The Marline Spike Sailor" as a guide for making your own mast coat. The book is a work of art due to the fact that the author is both a first class sailor and artist. I consider his book to be a must for the shelf of any hopelessly struck boat builder!

The boot should be a snug sliding fit at its upper diameter and installed prior to the stepping of the mast or masts. Of course, the boot is installed upside down and wrong side out where it will remain until the mast is stepped and wedged. Wedges should be made of cedar or cypress as these woods are both insect and rot proof. In southern states, termites can invade a mast coat and proceed to gnaw, unseen, into a perfectly good mast. So it is a good idea to stick with the woods mentioned. Box section masts such as the H28 is designed to carry are easy to fit. A round or elliptical spar will require a curved sole plane, file or sanding block to fit.
Another reason for these woods is that they are soft and will have less tendency to scar the spar! The wedges should have a slight bevel planed on their inner faying side faces to allow for ventalation. Every time you go sailing the boots will breath! They can take a bit of time to fit but it will be time well spent. They should be built like a wooden bucket with their tops wider than their bottoms as to prevent them from dropping though the mast deck flange. Once the wedging is done, the boot should be pulled down and a piece tape stuck on the mast where the top is to be located. It is then, carefully, inverted back and the inner surface seized to the spar with marline. Then, the area above the wedges is lightly filled with oakum to allow the coat to fill out and breath. The lower edge is then seized with marlin as well. If the coat is made correctly it will be a bit of traditional marlin spike work you can be proud of. However, it will need to be painted with the same paint as used on the coach roof. However, one added trick will prevent the canvas from becoming too stiff with paint. I always add a small amount of melted parafiin to the paint. This will allow the boot to be pealed up and left siezed on the spar next time it is pulled. A boot made and cared for in this manner will last a very long time!

Re: Jay & Anne Greer's H28 Ketch "Bright Star"

Ok, so here we are back at the main scuttle hatch slide rails, now that the coach roof is painted with two color coats. The third will go on after the trim is finished.
One of the design features of the H28 that L.Francis Herreshoff use ,that make the boat look longer than it actually is, is the rise and slant of the coach roof when viewed in profile or what is called the "Sheer Plan". Take a look at this picture and see that the coach roof is built at such an angle that the projected line of the coach roof meets the line of the sheer at the stem head. This is a trick that good designers use to incorporate a feeling of flow and balance to the look of a boat. Herreshoff, Starling Burgess and Uffa Fox to name a few NA's were well aware of this simple design trick. Many boats that have a strange clunky Jerry built look could be improved if only this simple rule were followed and incorporated into the construction and color scheme of the boat! The H28 coach roof and the hatch rails all share the same subtle disappearing line of perspective that dies into the stem head. Once you think about it it makes a lot of sense as can be seen here. The extended cockpit combing also creates a longer look to the eye as does the contrast of the gold cove strip and varnish against the painted topsides. The color of the coach roof matches the color of the sails and emphasizes the line of the sheer as well. Paint colors and varnish accents can do a lot to improve the look of an otherwise awkward looking boat.
Jay

Re: Jay & Anne Greer's H28 Ketch "Bright Star"

Yes, the main and mizzen booms both point along the same line as described above. An added advantage of this slant is that the sails have less tendency to trip in the water when sailing down wind. This is especially valuable when vangs are set.
Jay

Re: Jay & Anne Greer's H28 Ketch "Bright Star"

This was the original engine a Universal two cyl. diesel. Even though it had a heat exchanger, the block finally ended up with a perferated water jacket after forty years of use. I am considering the Beta Sixteen as it uses the Kabota Block. Just curious if any of you have opted for the Beta sixteen and how it works for you?
Jay

Re: Jay & Anne Greer's H28 Ketch "Bright Star"

Jay
I had an Universal diesel raw water cooled that gave up for same reason. I have a Frances 26 ( Morris Yachts ) and re powered with the Beta 14. Not sure if same block as the Beta 16 but as I recall
it had the same mounting as Beta targeted this market. I will attempt to attach photo here. The folks at the regional dist ( NC ) were great. Great access at front of engine for water pump etc.

Re: Jay & Anne Greer's H28 Ketch "Bright Star"

Thanks for the input guys! Beautiful installation Itchen! I really like to see a clean engine in a boat and not a rust bucket! I understand that the Beta 16 just has a bit more displacement than the 14. The 16 weighs 204lbs. and the 14 is 198. I think the extra six lbs. is no big thing.
The added torque of the 16 will help when bucking a tide. To, my own thinking, the Beta will fit in as well as did the old Universal since they are nearly the same block, Kabota. I am just concerned about the quality of the new engines. What say you?
Jay

Re: Jay & Anne Greer's H28 Ketch "Bright Star"

Originally Posted by Jay Greer

Thanks for the input guys! Beautiful installation Itchen! I really like to see a clean engine in a boat and not a rust bucket! I understand that the Beta 16 just has a bit more displacement than the 14. The 16 weighs 204lbs. and the 14 is 198. I think the extra six lbs. is no big thing.
The added torque of the 16 will help when bucking a tide. To, my own thinking, the Beta will fit in as well as did the old Universal since they are nearly the same block, Kabota. I am just concerned about the quality of the new engines. What say you?
Jay

I have a beta 20 in my boat.
It was put in 18 years ago by the previous owner (only had 410h on it). When I bought the boat it had been sitting for a couple of year and it started first go.